The EU question

Mine writes:
>If I am not misunderstanding you, your idea that nordic working classes
>should accept EU on the grounds that they should suffer together with
>continental workers is just another _way_ of saying that free trade
>develops the material conditions and promotes working class solidarity.
>Such an idea is not relevant in the age of imperialism. EU is there to pit
>workers of different nationalities against each other, just as NAFTA, not
>to unite them EU itself is an obstacle to working class solidarity. We
>should oppose EU''s econnomic and political goals by any means available. I
>agree with Magnus is that respect.
Why is such an idea "not relevant in the age of imperialism"? What, in
particular, makes it irrelevant? And why are the intentions of capitalists
in building the EU or NAFTA so relevant? To say the least, workers are not
forced to conform to all capitalists' designs. This would not be the first
and only time capitalists do something to advance their own goals just to
end up strengthening the workers. The fact is protectionist barriers or
national borders do not preclude competition among workers. In a way, it
makes much tougher. Just to mention the obvious: the international
solidarity among workers may be made easier -- not more difficult -- by the
intensified traffic of things, ideas, and people that these trade blocs
bring about.
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